1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tape recorder of the type wherein stopping of a reel receiving member is detected to activate a particular mechanism of the tape recorder such as an automatic stopping mechanism or an automatic reversing mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Tape recorders are already known wherein when a reel receiving member is stopped, for example, at an end of a tape, an automatic stopping mechanism, an automatic reversing mechanism or some other mechanism is activated.
In a conventional tape recorder of the type described, a tape tension detecting member is mounted on a head carrying member on which a magnetic head is carried, and in a reproduction or recording operating mode of the tape recorder, the tape tension detecting member is pressed against a magnetic tape at a position near the magnetic head so that the tape travels along a partially bent or curved path.
Accordingly, when the tape comes to its end in the reproduction or recording operating mode of the tape recorder, the tension of the tape will increase suddenly and thus attempt to straighten the partially bent or curved portion of the tape. This will push the detecting member to move back to its home position. Such movement of the detecting member then is thus used to activate a particular mechanism of the tape recorder such as an automatic stopping mechanism or an automatic reversing mechanism.
Since in a reproduction or recording operating mode of the tape recorder the tape tension detecting member is pressed against a magnetic tape so that the tape runs along a partially bent or curved path in this manner, the conventional tape recorders have following problems:
(1) Since a magnetic tape is pressed by the detecting member, the resistance to the tape during running is high. Consequently, the contacting pressure of a pinch roller to a capstan must be high accordingly, and hence a spring is necessitated which provides such a high contacting pressure. As a result, the capstan undergoes a high lateral pressure, which makes designing of a bearing difficult. Besides, a high operating force is required for reproduction or recording operation.
(2) Since a tape runs along a partially bent or curved path, running of the tape is unstable, which is particularly remarkable at a joint of tapes.